“Horns do not grow before the head.” – African proverb
You do not need a degree to see that Ghana today is not working for all of us. But you do need a clear picture of what a better society looks like, otherwise, how will you know what to push for?
The average Ghanaian dreams of a well‑structured nation, good laws, honest dialogue between citizens and power holders, and conversations that actually change decisions. A better society means your work is rewarded, your voice respected, and your nation’s wealth stays home longer. That requires transparency, participation, and local control.
Sadly, not many Ghanaians appreciate what a better society should look and feel like. To do rise to that level, we must go deeper than economics or administration. We need what the renowned sociologist Anthony Giddens termed ontological security. This is the quiet confidence citizens have within the nation that the world makes sense, that tomorrow will resemble today, and that you know who you are within society.
In societies where ontological security is high, the citizens live without constant fear. When it is low, the ground feels like it could give way at any moment. Our fathers’ adage that you cannot have the horns before the head, was to educate us that structure and sequence matter. It was also a warning against skipping steps or rushing to the final goal without building a solid base.
Ghana sits on the periphery of a global capitalist system designed by and for Europe and North America. Our cocoa, gold, and oil flow outward; manufactured goods and debt flow inward. That structure is unfair, and no amount of local hard work alone will erase it. But a poorly structured local society makes global exploitation worse. When our elites collaborate with foreign corporations, when our tax system leaks, when internal borders are weak, we become not just a periphery but a helpless periphery.
So here is what a well‑structured Ghana looks like. Every citizen should feel like Ghana is an inclusive public sphere. We need a society where security, justice, and opportunities are offered to every citizen, and not merely to the political elite or members of a particular group.
The state’s role is not uniformity but an assurance that a police officer will treat you the same way he treats a prominent person. That a village child will get the same quality teacher as a private school student; and or that your ethnicity should never deny you an opportunity or a fair hearing. Without this, citizens retreat into clans or churches and stop believing in the nation.
Today, too much power in Ghana is strategic. Most of the decisions that directly affect us are made behind closed doors. Money speaks louder than reason, and our daily concerns, a pothole on the street, insufficient teachers in a school, or a bribe at a checkpoint, are treated as background noise.
That is exhausting. But it is not inevitable. A well-structured society will replace this with communicative power, where ordinary people raise a problem and see it resolved through open, accountable processes. That means public district assembly meetings, simple and safe corruption reporting, and radio that moves from sensational talk shows to binding feedback. When your voice changes decisions, you become a citizen, not a subject.
A structured Ghana will not simply export raw materials and import finished goods. One ton of raw cocoa beans earns a fraction of a chocolate bar. One barrel of crude oil creates far fewer jobs than a local refinery. So, we must strive to process our cocoa, gold, timber, etc. Yes, the core nations of the existing capitalist structure will resist. But a nation that does not even try to keep its own wealth has already surrendered. We need to ensure that what is dug from our soil enriches our children, not distant shareholders.
We know a structured society will not be handed to us on a silver plate. It must be demanded, by all us. It must be demanded by citizens who refuse to be helpless. The structure of a nation is never permanent. It is always remade by ordinary people who decide that enough is enough, and who have a clear enough vision to push for something better. That push begins now. It is a big push, and so we must all keep it going…
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